Writing about reproductive rights issues in Minnesota and beyond!
As the political arm of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, we mobilize supporters of all parties to defend and increase access to family planning services and fact based, medically accurate sexuality education
We work to inspire and engage citizens to take up the cause of reproductive health and rights through education, electoral activity, grassroots organizing and legislative advocacy.

bachmann

18 July 2011

Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), is catching heat from FOX News for a speech he gave at the 2011 Campus Progress National Conference. When discussing the issue of wealth inequality, Ellison stated:

“I recently hosted a forum in my district called Women's Rights in the Era of Extremism. And this is an era of extremism. These same people who want to shrink government till you can drown it in a bathtub also want mom to get back in the kitchen and take her shoes off and get pregnant. You understand? They are offended by strong, powerful women. And here's the sad part -- some of them are women themselves. Michele Bachmann being an example. So let's stand up -- let's stand up for women's rights, and brothers don't leave the sisters out there. We gotta be in this thing together.”

Gretchen Carlson of FOX News was particularly offended by Ellison’s (accurate) commentary, defending Michele Bachmann against what she insisted was Ellison implying Bachmann was not a strong woman.

Unfortunately Carlson missed the boat. Ellison never stated that Bachmann is not a “strong, powerful woman”—just that her message and reputation is not favorable to women’s rights. Here’s a nice piece about her politics.

Bachmann’s voting record speaks for itself. Here are some highlights of her consistent votes against women: Voted against the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Voted to defund Planned Parenthood. Co-sponsored a bill that would prohibit federal funds from being used to cover any part of a health plan that includes coverage of abortion services.

She also tends to vote against any sort of help for the poor, which puts women and children alike at a disadvantage.

The criticism of Ellison for calling out Bachmann on her sexist politics is misguided at best and overall frightening, considering the barrage of sexist comments playing out over the FOX airwaves consistently.

Thanks to Representative Ellison for all he’s done to fight for women’s health & equality.

There's $259,000 in federal subsidies paid since 1995 to a family farm of which Bachmann is a part owner. Another $30,000 went to Bachmann and Associates Counseling Clinic in the last five years from various Minnesota government agencies, including one small payment logged the day after the congresswoman's official 2012 kickoff. In addition, at least $137,000 came from Medicaid-backed programs for patients using the mental health clinic run by her husband, Marcus Bachmann.

Bachmann’s press secretary is quoted defending the Bachmann’s use of these Medicaid dollars:

The hilarious and generous co-creator of the Daily Show, Lizz Winstead, is on a tour to raise funds for Planned Parenthood and she recently kicked things off here to a large crowd of Planned Parenthood supporters here in Minneapolis. Winstead covered a wide variety topics in her segment. From her take on the Republican candidates' performances at the debates, to the attacks on Planned Parenthood, to the problems with today's media, Lizz had the audience in tears. Check out a few highlights below:

02 March 2011

"The government has no business telling an individual what kind of light bulb to buy,” Bachmann said in a statement Wednesday. “This mandate has sweeping effects on American families and businesses and needs serious consideration before taking effect

The mandate to which Bachmann is referring is a law that requires phaseout of incandescent light bulbs and the adoption of high efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs. She’s reinvigorated her campaign to pass the “Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act” which would do away with the light bulb mandate.

Bachmann further added: ““The American people want less government intrusion into their lives, not more, and that includes staying out of their personal light bulb choices.”

Regardless of your stance on light bulb choice, you still have to still have to ask yourself: “Are you kidding me, Representative Bachmann?”

Bachmann is totally A-OK with the government intruding on family decisions and choices made in the doctors' office involving the most PERSONAL of personal choices: a woman’s right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy. Bachmann even supports allowing the government to prohibit a woman from having an abortion, even when it means the woman might die if she continues the pregnancy. She doesn’t just support it--- she co-sponsored the bill!

Here’s the truth: Bachmann has been a strong supporter of government intrusions into women’s lives. Just don’t mess with lightbulbs--- My lighbulb, my choice.

21 December 2010

In a recent interview, Representative Michele Bachmann called for Planned Parenthood to be defunded:

“It is incumbent upon us as members of Congress to let people know… the stark fiscal realities that we are facing as a nation, and can’t we at minimum start with defunding things like Planned Parenthood and paying for other people’s abortions that are highly controversial and are violating our principles of the Declaration of Independence, our inalienable right to life? That we can at least agree on, that we should defund that.”

Rep. Bachmann doesn’t understand the incredibly important role Planned Parenthood plays in the health of women all across the country. In fact, in Bachmann’s home state of Minnesota, Planned Parenthood provided more than 300,000 units of contraception, approximately 62,000 STI tests, more than 20,000 breast cancer screenings and over 17,000 cervical cancer screenings. In the past year alone, Planned Parenthood has served more than 60,000 Minnesotans in need of affordable health care. Defunding Planned Parenthood would deny access to basic health care for millions of women.

We’re asking supporters to stand up for Planned Parenthood by making a gift “in honor” of Bachmann to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. We’ll be sure to let Rep. Bachmann know how much was raised on her behalf!

The Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund is the political arm of PPMNS. We mobilize supporters of all parties to defend and increase access to family planning services and fact based, medically accurate sexual education. Read more.